Field of the Invention
This invention relates to a protective limb covering, and, more particularly, to a disposable waterproof covering to cover and seal a cast or bandage on a leg or arm to permit bathing or showering without damage to the cast or bandage or further irritation to the injury.
Description of the Prior Art
There are a wide variety of bandages or cast covers which are intended to provide a waterproof covering for bathing purposes. Some of these covers are so complex as to hardly afford a disposable product. For example, U.S. Pat. No. 3,741,203 to Liman provides a covering complete with a foam rubber sealing layer, inner bag with valve for inflation, and zipper and adhesive tape closures. Other closures of the reusable type require a good deal of dexterity or time in their application so as to be a source of irritation to the user. Thus U.S. Pat. No. 3,906,941 to Cook, Jr. with its wrap around band and rubber band lock, and U.S. Pat. No. 4,139,003 to Little, et al. with its roll-up sleeve may fall in this category.
Attempts to provide a simpler but still reusable covering have taken the form of using adhesive tape to seal entirely around both the waterproof sleeve and the user's limb. This results in the formation of leakage channels particularly at the point of tape overlap. U.S. Pat. No. 3,324,580 to Baxter and U.S. Pat. No. 4,727,864 to Weisenthal are exemplary of this type of covering.
Designs which avoid the formation of leakage channels at the interface of the user's arm or leg skin and the plastic sleeve involve the use of straps inboard but adjacent to the open end of the sleeve but unfortunately use buckles or buckle loop-Velcro type fastening members which lead to the gathering of excess sleeve material concentrated usually at the buckle or loop area to again provide a water path. Examples of this type of covering are shown in U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,747,125 to Goldman, et al and U.S. Pat. No. 4,254,765 to Brown, et al. Difficulties with still other prior art coverings are discussed in column one of the Brown, et al. patent.